living lightly in ireland

Zero Waste Washing Up

A very glamorous topic for an article but hey we all gotta do some washing up at some stage and why not make it as sustainable as possible. It’s taken me a few years but I’ve finally found a set of zero waste (low waste if I’m honest) dish washing tools that I’m happy with, and I waited to publish this article until I’d given them all a good run for their money and could vouch for their performance. My weapons of choice include the following;

Toxin-free Home Fragrances for 2026

I don’t bother with home fragrances for 3/4 of the year, we simply open the window but during the winter months our home sometimes need a bit of help to smell fresh. If you’ve been reading the website for a while you won’t be surprised to learn that the idea of spraying synthetic chemicals into the air that my family breathes is pure lunacy to me, so when seeking to freshen our air I only consider natural toxin-free options. If you’re unsure why synthetic air freshners should be of concern read this article. This is a US based article but I’ve heard researchers in the UK say similar things in relation to indoor air quality.

Growing Fruit and Veg; Design & Layout 2026

I appreciate that I have really put the cart before the horse with this article. I really should have published this before I wrote my other articles on growing veg but this happens when you write articles that follow life rather than ones that are planned and executed like a professional magazine. So if I whetted your appetite for growing fruit and veg with my previous articles and you’re planning to designating a section of your garden to this endeavour, here are my tips on how best to go about it.

Homemade Plastic-Free Toothpaste without Bicarb of Soda

On this website I strongly believe in sharing failures as well as the successes, like my homemade mascara or homemade dish soap or experience with soap nuts. This time it’s the turn of homemade toothpaste. I’m being a bit harsh by calling this a failure. I actually like the toothpaste I created but my husband doesn’t and I don’t think my kids are going to take to it either.

Sustainable Ethical Interiors – Bathrooms 2026

After the kitchen the bathroom is where most people make sustainable living changes, switching to bamboo toothbrushes, recycled toilet paper and homemade toothpaste. Here’s a guide to some ways you can reduce your carbon footprint in this most sacred of spaces.